Multiple-cylinder steam-engine



(No Model.) I' '8 i MULTIPLE CYLINDER STEAM ENGINE.

No. 376,459. Patented Jan. 17, 1888.

Snom/Lto@ `UNITED STATES DAN WILKINSON, OF PERU, INDIANA.

PATENT Grimes..

MULTIPLE-CYUNDER STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming'part of Letters Patent No. 376,459, dated January17, 1888.

Application filed August 23, 18H7. Serial No. 217,652.

To aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DAN VVI'LKINSON, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Peru, in the county of Miami and Stateot' Indiana,have invented certain new and use ful Improvementsin Multiple-CylinderSteam- Engiues, of which the following is a specifica tion, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to steam-engines of the class termedmultiple-cylinder, and it has for its object to provide an engine ofthis class whose crankshaft, by reason of the peculiar construction andarrangement of itself and connected parts, shall be perfectly balancedat all points in its revolution, thus avoiding friction and admitting ofa high rate of speed.

The invention will lirst be described in connection with theaccompanying drawings, and then pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a perspective View of a two-cylindersteam-engine illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of thesame with the pistons at full stroke.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the bed-plate resting-onstandards a and support ing the cylinders, guides, cross-heads,counecting-rods, crank, iy-wheel, eccentrics, and valve-stems. Midway ofthe bed-plate there is a transverse opening or depression, a', to allowof the rotationot' the crank-shaft.

B B are the steam-cylinders, placed opposite each other on the bedplate,as shown, and secured theretoin any suitable manner, and G C are thesteam-chests, D D the steam-supply pipes, and E E' the exhaust-pipes.

F'represents the piston-rods; G, the cross. heads; H, the guides for'thecross-heads, and I I the connecting-rods, one of which, I, is forked, asshown, and both of which are pivoted to the cross-heads in directalignment with the pistonrods.'

.I represents the crank-shaft, journaled in pillow-blocksj on thebed-plateA midway between the cylinders. This shaft is constructed withfour arms, 1 2 3 4, joined together by integrally-formed round portions,(not seem) on which the forward ends of the connectingrods are journaled, the forked rod I being journalcd between arms l and Zand 3 and4, and

(No model.)

the straight rod I between arms 2 and 3, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, itbeing understood that the fork of rod I is of sufficient length andwidth to allow arms 2 and 3 to pass through it in the revolution of theshaft. The arms are of proper weight to balance the shaft with theily-wheel and eccentrics attached.

K is the fly-wheel.

The cylinders are exact duplicates, as are also the valves, ports, andpiston-rods, and y the connecting-rods andeccentrics are of equalweight, uniformly distributed along their en tire length. Now, with they-wheel accurately balanced the crank-shaft will be equally balanced atany and all points in its revolution, and as the connecting-rods exerttheir power in direct lines with the piston-rods ex cessi ve frictionand all lateral strains on t-he moving parts are avoided, and as aconsequence a high rate of speed is attainable with safety to theengine.

I am aware that a two cylinder engine whose cylinders are each thecounterpart of the other mounted opposite each other on a continuousbed-plate, and whose connecting-rods operate on a common crank-shaftlocated midway between the cylinders, is not new; but, so far as I amaware, while the pistons connect centrally with the cross heads, theconnecting rods are set to one side of this center, and also connectcorrespondingly with the crank-shaft. Such construction results in acontinuons transverse strain on the stuffing-boxes ofthe cylinders, theconnections of the pistons and the connecting-rods at the cross-heads,and onthe boxiugs supporting the crank-shaft; and it also results, whena high speed is attempted, in un due friction and heating, which can beobviated only .by running at ordinary speed.

Y Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto'secure by Letters Patent, is t 1. In a multiple-cylinder engine, thecombination, with acontinnous bed-plate, of two cylinders of equal sizeset opposite each other on said plate, two pistons, two guides, twoerossheads to which the pistons are centrally attached, a crank-shafthaving three points of attach ment'for the connectingrods and located inbearings on the said bed-plate midway between the cylinders, and twoconnecting-rods,

ICO

one of which is forked and the other straight, straight connecting-rodsattached to the crossattaehed at their rear ends to the cross-headsheads and to the crank-shaft, in the manner in alignment with thepistons and at their forshown and described.

ward ends to the crankshaft, all constructed In testimony whereof I nfxmy signature in 5 in the manner described. presence of two witnesses.

2. In an engine of the class described mount- T ed on a continuousbed-p1ate, the crank-shaft DAN VVILKID SON' mounted midway between thecylinders and having four arms, in combination with the 1o y-wheel, theeccentrics, and the forked and Witnesses:

J AMEs M. BROWN, NATT N. ANTRIM.

